Audi S3 PFL vs Mercedes A35 AMG

[NevMan]

Thanks mate

Colour is denim blue and changes quite a lot with light conditions and can sometimes almost appear black which actually does a good job of making the aero kit look a little more subtle....

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Really nice Rob, do like that colour

I do like colours thy offer changes in different lights, mine is Carbon Black which looks almost Navarra in sunshine

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Thanks mate

Colour is denim blue and changes quite a lot with light conditions and can sometimes almost appear black which actually does a good job of making the aero kit look a little more subtle....

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Oh wow I didn't even see the roof spoiler on the 1st pic ... yeah blends really well, which I would like too
That is a great colour combo you have gone for there.
I really like that car - superb colour/ alloys and the aero pack does make it look quite special doesn't it without being too shouty.

PS: Am I right in thinking you had a Golf R before this and if so how does it compare ?

 

[RS3KEY]

The A35 has completely different suspension setup to the A250, it was developed by AMG, my A35 goes round corners every bit as well as my S3 did. What I do miss is the the comfort setting on the S3. The A35 ride is a lot firmer, and its nice to have a softer setup when you are just commuting etc.

And I don't care what they said in that video, the S3 was tuned. My friend bought a 2019 S3 a few weeks before I got mine A35 and performance wise, there is nothing in it, they are very evenly matched which is what I expected to be honest.

The strength of the Audi remains in the build quailty, I am quite happy to admit it is much better than Mercedes.

Oh it was deffo tuned that s3 you could tell by it revving before take off! Your 35 looks absolutely amazing in yellow too, and I normally pull my face at yellow cars!!

I loved my Mercedes but after driving the s3 I had no doubts I was switching to Audi!

 

[Adam14]

Didn't they say in the video that it had a Res delete and they checked that it wasn't remapped.

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[Ron240]

Your 35 looks absolutely amazing in yellow too

It does, so I was surprised to learn that this colour is offered as one of the 3 free paint options.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

@Rob2k68 ....car looks great mate, I presume you have gone under the bonnet and done some Rob magic??
I am leery of Merc models, as they apparently have from some pundits, a bad service reputation. I still miss your very knowledgeable inputs and trust that all is well with you.

 

[Tzsteve]

Just checked latest pricing, Q5 now starts from £41,420....jeez!

S3 sportback starts at £37k!! And Saloon £39,015.

Makes my M40i with £4.5k options discounted to £46k seem like a bargain

The s3 sports back starts at €52,200 and the saloon starts at €53,200 here in Ireland before adding packages or extra color options.
My sline a3 with 1.5 tfsi came in at nearly €42k after I added the color, blk pack and a few extras.
Road tax is 270 euro per year.

Cars are getting sooo expensive.







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[Rob2k68]

@Rob2k68 ....car looks great mate, I presume you have gone under the bonnet and done some Rob magic??
I am leery of Merc models, as they apparently have from some pundits, a bad service reputation. I still miss your very knowledgeable inputs and trust that all is well with you.

Thanks Bud

Still miss the S3 that was a Daytona sleeper, Golf R lasted 18 months which was cut short when I hit a badger and had to repair the front so looked around for a long time and settled for my first Merc. Little lad loves it he sits in the back says ‘hey Mercedes’ then changes temperature and sets ambient lighting to acid lime green LoL

Thanks for the kind words. There’s a 42 page build thread of mine under 7R members rides over at VWROC.com if you fancy a gander it’s Rob2k68 Lapiz R collection and build thread, Merc is still standard ... for now

Hope all is well with you


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[Flying Scotsman]

Thanks Rob ...I wondered what happened to the Golf R......the Merc will not be standard for long...how do the Merc. S3 and R compare?

 

[oli356]

Didn't they say in the video that it had a Res delete and they checked that it wasn't remapped.

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Yup and the owner on Facebook sticks to that story.

 

[SPIKE_]

@Rob2k68 congrats on the A35. Shame the RS3 never worked out for you, but I’m sure the MB is a great car - enjoy!

 

[Rob2k68]

Thanks Rob ...I wondered what happened to the Golf R......the Merc will not be standard for long...how do the Merc. S3 and R compare?

LoL could possibly find a home for an air filter and a tuning box haha.

Hmm good question, well jumbled up but points as they enter my head ....

A35 handles better out of the box where R needed springs and roll bar to sort it out. It’s roll bars are rigidly mounted to make the body stiffer the downside being that it translates slightly more road noise depending on road surface but I’d take the handling any day.

Steering and feedback the A35 is just that bit more engaging than both cars but remember MQB platform is getting on for 6/7 years old.

Seats are perfect for me and slightly grained so shouldn’t crease on the bolsters or if they do it’ll disguise it.

Technology is awesome but augmented reality sat nav a bit of a gimmick but heads up display on the other hand is fantastic.

Some bits of tech you can’t permanently switch off which can be a bit irritating lane departure being an example is always on every time you start the car.

Interior layout is fantastic the armrest works as an arm rest as does the door trim so you can rest both elbows when driving. Switches fall to hand just right so lots of thought gone into cabin layout.

Interior space as a whole much better than R and edges the S3 too. The car is 6 inches longer than the R so my 8y/o has more room in the back. Boot is also bigger and floor lower.

Interior trim not a huge fan of piano black and non brushed alloy trim also a finger print magnet so prefer materials used in the S3.

MMI much better than R, wasn’t a huge fan of touch screen. The little touch pads on the steering wheel work well so the game has moved on here.

Steering wheel is perfect. Perforated leather and decent metal paddles.

Gear changes slightly more notchy than both R and S3 maybe improve with miles.

Exhaust sound much better than F/L R, my S3 was P/F/L. Especially pops and crackles in sport +

Must have the best ambient lighting on the market I’ve certainly not seen better.

Mines a premium plus so has electric seats and sunroof. Sunroof opening is probably 1.5x the size of R and S3 so worth having.

Build quality and materials is better than R but a tad below S3 but you have to look hard. I’ve a very OCD for detail as work for a prestige car company so 99% of people wouldn’t look in these areas or you’ll only notice when removing parts.

Engine bay much nicer covers and management of cables . R really bugged me that they hadn’t even lacquered under the bonnet.

Burmester audio is miles better than Dynaudio but B&O a clear winner.

Miss the little storage spaces of the R especially the under seat drawers.

Probably loads more I’ve missed




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[NevMan]

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/merce...letter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

Here you go @Ron240, what you have been waiting for

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Thanks Rob, a very detailed report...the one thing that really stands out as a real negative for me are the nanny aids that can not be turned off, such as lane departure warnings etc. I find these annoying and some have safety issues such as full braking for no reason and I experienced that on a hired brand new Volvo XC60 that was probably due to a faulty radar sensor. Plus that sensor is expensive to replace and requires lengthy calibration costs.
Yeah, I know all new cars are going this way with over the top autonomous devices but they scare the hell out of me. I prefer to be in control not some programmed algorithms, such as used on the Boeing 737 Max8.

 

[Ron240]

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/merce...letter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

Here you go @Ron240, what you have been waiting for

It's the right colour anyway....but it's not the estate version I'm waiting on.
Have to admit it's a pretty good looking car if you're in the market for an estate.

 

[oli356]

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/new-mercedes-amg-a45-has-415bhp

Jeeeeez

 

[Ron240]

You wonder how this type of power can be had from a 4 cylinder engine in a reliable state of tune.....it would have been the stuff of witchcraft as little as 10 years ago.
Being honest though it is complete overkill....although it is Top Trumps in bragging rights.
The basic price will be eye watering also.
Unless money suddenly became less important to me I would never go for an A45.......not when A35 would offer everything I could possibly want.

 

[Chris4410]

So I thought I would update everyone on the AMG A35.

So I picked the car up on March 22nd, it was returned to Mercedes Benz on August 16th following a 2 month process to reject the car.

It had numerous electronic gremlins, which most likely could be fixed with software updates when they become available.

However what I couldn't overlook and why the car was rejected related to the build quality, when been driven it made sounds like you were walking over creaking floor boards.

MB UK and my local dealer were terrible to communicate and deal with through the whole process, the worse comment coming from the service manager in my local MB dealership saying that perhaps I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

This was my first MB, and it will most definitely be my last. Shame as the car looked great and drove really well.

 

[Adam14]

I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

That is truly shocking and not something you'd expect from the "premium" brans such as MB, Audi and BMW. Yes I know the cars are mass produced but are still seen as premium motors.

Truly shocking it has been such a battle, what car is on the cards now?

 

[listers_socks]

So I thought I would update everyone on the AMG A35.

So I picked the car up on March 22nd, it was returned to Mercedes Benz on August 16th following a 2 month process to reject the car.

It had numerous electronic gremlins, which most likely could be fixed with software updates when they become available.

However what I couldn't overlook and why the car was rejected related to the build quality, when been driven it made sounds like you were walking over creaking floor boards.

MB UK and my local dealer were terrible to communicate and deal with through the whole process, the worse comment coming from the service manager in my local MB dealership saying that perhaps I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

This was my first MB, and it will most definitely be my last. Shame as the car looked great and drove really well.

Shame, amazing that whilst car prices keep going up dealers expect us to lower expectations

Any plans for what's next?

 

[Chris4410]

That is truly shocking and not something you'd expect from the "premium" brans such as MB, Audi and BMW. Yes I know the cars are mass produced but are still seen as premium motors.

Truly shocking it has been such a battle, what car is on the cards now?

Shame, amazing that whilst car prices keep going up dealers expect us to lower expectations

Any plans for what's next?

Indeed, not what I had come to expect from a so called premium brand. I needed the move into something else straight away so I have already bought a VW Golf GTI TCR.

Anything suitable from Audi and BMW were a 3-4 month wait, A brand new unregistered TCR was available from a local dealer so I took their demo for a 24 hour test drive and really liked it so done the deal. Add bonus is it is costing a lot less than the A35 was.

 

[wab172uk]

So I thought I would update everyone on the AMG A35.

So I picked the car up on March 22nd, it was returned to Mercedes Benz on August 16th following a 2 month process to reject the car.

It had numerous electronic gremlins, which most likely could be fixed with software updates when they become available.

However what I couldn't overlook and why the car was rejected related to the build quality, when been driven it made sounds like you were walking over creaking floor boards.

MB UK and my local dealer were terrible to communicate and deal with through the whole process, the worse comment coming from the service manager in my local MB dealership saying that perhaps I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

This was my first MB, and it will most definitely be my last. Shame as the car looked great and drove really well.

Wow !! That's truly shocking. I though MB had sorted out build quality issues in recent years? Maybe just to their most expensive models?

Glad you were able to reject the car though. Did they give a reason for all the noises? The problem with all these new fancy Ipads is everything runs off the software. No dials or buttons to fall back on. What happens in 10 years time when something goes wrong, and no software updates available?

How are you finding the Golf?

 

[Lehn]

Indeed, not what I had come to expect from a so called premium brand. I needed the move into something else straight away so I have already bought a VW Golf GTI TCR.

Anything suitable from Audi and BMW were a 3-4 month wait, A brand new unregistered TCR was available from a local dealer so I took their demo for a 24 hour test drive and really liked it so done the deal. Add bonus is it is costing a lot less than the A35 was.

Damn that's like a front wheel drive S3. Congrats mate!

 

[cuke2u]

Unfortunately these days be it Audi, bmw or Mercedes some will have squeaks, rattles or groans. None these days seem to be immune from it. Still haven't got around to fixing the rattle from the c pillar in mine...

 

[AlS3BE]

MB UK and my local dealer were terrible to communicate and deal with through the whole process, the worse comment coming from the service manager in my local MB dealership saying that perhaps I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

This was my first MB, and it will most definitely be my last. Shame as the car looked great and drove really well.

That’s pretty poor from any MB dealer. I’ve never had issues with my local MB dealer and always great to deal with. They even managed to get a massive goodwill from MBUK to fix my car out of warranty. They paid £600 out of a £700 bill.
I’ve driven a couple of the new a-class, not the a35, and they feel relatively solid and the dual iPad style screens seems to work well so I wouldn’t have expected the top of the line a35 to be squeaking and full of bugs.
If I was in your shoes I wouldn’t have waited 2 months to reject it. I would have parked it across their shiny showroom with stickers and stuff

 

[JonW]

So I thought I would update everyone on the AMG A35.

So I picked the car up on March 22nd, it was returned to Mercedes Benz on August 16th following a 2 month process to reject the car.

It had numerous electronic gremlins, which most likely could be fixed with software updates when they become available.

However what I couldn't overlook and why the car was rejected related to the build quality, when been driven it made sounds like you were walking over creaking floor boards.

MB UK and my local dealer were terrible to communicate and deal with through the whole process, the worse comment coming from the service manager in my local MB dealership saying that perhaps I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

This was my first MB, and it will most definitely be my last. Shame as the car looked great and drove really well.

That's not good, not surprised though, I had a Mercedes tech advise me to scrape off overspray on a rear window with a Stanley knife

 

[AlS3BE]

That's not good, not surprised though, I had a Mercedes tech advise me to scrape off overspray on a rear window with a Stanley knife

I would have taken the knife and did something else with it.
I’ve a habit of not taking any crap from anyone especially ones I’ve handed thousands of pounds to.

 

[Kayobong]

So I thought I would update everyone on the AMG A35.

So I picked the car up on March 22nd, it was returned to Mercedes Benz on August 16th following a 2 month process to reject the car.

It had numerous electronic gremlins, which most likely could be fixed with software updates when they become available.

However what I couldn't overlook and why the car was rejected related to the build quality, when been driven it made sounds like you were walking over creaking floor boards.

MB UK and my local dealer were terrible to communicate and deal with through the whole process, the worse comment coming from the service manager in my local MB dealership saying that perhaps I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

This was my first MB, and it will most definitely be my last. Shame as the car looked great and drove really well.

With all of this in mind, do you still prefer it to the S3?

 

[Chris4410]

Wow !! That's truly shocking. I though MB had sorted out build quality issues in recent years? Maybe just to their most expensive models?

Glad you were able to reject the car though. Did they give a reason for all the noises? The problem with all these new fancy Ipads is everything runs off the software. No dials or buttons to fall back on. What happens in 10 years time when something goes wrong, and no software updates available?

How are you finding the Golf?

Really enjoying it so far, it looks great in the Pure Grey/Black combo.

Part of the reason that I didn't get another one was the attitude of the local MB dealer, even though two independent reports noted the issues with the car they were still saying nothing was wrong with it when I was handing it back.

They said as it was an AMG it would be noisier, the service manager even said that I should lower my expectations of the car. At that point I just thought Wow, what a thing to say. Couldn't being myself to deal with someone like that again.

 

[Chris4410]

Unfortunately these days be it Audi, bmw or Mercedes some will have squeaks, rattles or groans. None these days seem to be immune from it. Still haven't got around to fixing the rattle from the c pillar in mine...

Trust me, this wasn't a normal squeak or rattle. It was incredible, anyone who was in the car with me couldn't believe the noise it made.

 

[Chris4410]

With all of this in mind, do you still prefer it to the S3?

Honestly, I think I was unlucky and got a bad one. There are plenty of owners not having issues.

It was a great looking car, and it drove really well. I have never owned a car that got so much attention, it really did stand out and all sorts of people would come and talk to me about it, that never happen with the S3.

 

[cuke2u]

Trust me, this wasn't a normal squeak or rattle. It was incredible, anyone who was in the car with me couldn't believe the noise it made.

My rear trim makes an awful rattle over bumps and worse when it's hot, you'd think the rear suspension was broken from the sound of it, yet this is a common issue with the A4 B9 according to the number of owners who experience it.
Easily resolved by removing the rear trim and removing the rear window locating pins attached to the glass, which is why it's worse when the window warms up.
Yet the Audi dealership cannot even hear it or fix it.

Good though you feel it was a one off but with the design of modern car interiors having large touchscreens and plastic trims the number having rattles and squeaks is becoming more common. There are a number of new A6 & A7 owner's experiencing this...

 

[winrya]

I’m a big fan of the a35, I think with aero kit it’s got massive road presence and I’d happily overlook some of the cheaper plastics in the cabin for the way it looks. I however joined the a35 Facebook group a few months ago and it completely turned me away from the a35/cla35 as it seems to be a daily occurrence asking what each different warning light is, the fix, removing batteries for 10 mins etc. Seems like some amazing tech on them but after 6 years of never touching a dealership (touch wood) and after owning and Alfa prior, I’m not willing to risk a merc and fearing what will be the next bodge to get me by for a few more weeks until another dealership visit

 

[Chris4410]

I’m a big fan of the a35, I think with aero kit it’s got massive road presence and I’d happily overlook some of the cheaper plastics in the cabin for the way it looks. I however joined the a35 Facebook group a few months ago and it completely turned me away from the a35/cla35 as it seems to be a daily occurrence asking what each different warning light is, the fix, removing batteries for 10 mins etc. Seems like some amazing tech on them but after 6 years of never touching a dealership (touch wood) and after owning and Alfa prior, I’m not willing to risk a merc and fearing what will be the next bodge to get me by for a few more weeks until another dealership visit

I was a member of that group as well, left it recently as people didn’t want to hear about the problems. Some even admitted to having problems but were happy to live with them, which I personally found crazy considering the cost of the car.

 

[winrya]

I was a member of that group as well, left it recently as people didn’t want to hear about the problems. Some even admitted to having problems but were happy to live with them, which I personally found crazy considering the cost of the car.

I noticed over the bank holiday they announced they had booted a number of users off for negative comments so seems they are trying to gloss over the issues

 

[Chris4410]

I noticed over the bank holiday they announced they had booted a number of users off for negative comments so seems they are trying to gloss over the issues

I left before that, couldn't listen to them any more. A lot of people on there with their head well and truly up their own ****.

 

[AlS3BE]

I noticed over the bank holiday they announced they had booted a number of users off for negative comments so seems they are trying to gloss over the issues

Ignorance is bliss

 

[Bristle Hound]

Thanks mate

Colour is denim blue and changes quite a lot with light conditions and can sometimes almost appear black which actually does a good job of making the aero kit look a little more subtle....

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@Rob2k68 - Nice to see you back on ASN buddy
Stunning looking Merc. Congrats !

 

[Jassyo06]

Thanks mate

Colour is denim blue and changes quite a lot with light conditions and can sometimes almost appear black which actually does a good job of making the aero kit look a little more subtle....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Oh dear....hopefully a short term pcp lol

 

[loftylad]

So I thought I would update everyone on the AMG A35.

So I picked the car up on March 22nd, it was returned to Mercedes Benz on August 16th following a 2 month process to reject the car.

It had numerous electronic gremlins, which most likely could be fixed with software updates when they become available.

However what I couldn't overlook and why the car was rejected related to the build quality, when been driven it made sounds like you were walking over creaking floor boards.

MB UK and my local dealer were terrible to communicate and deal with through the whole process, the worse comment coming from the service manager in my local MB dealership saying that perhaps I should "lower my expectations" of the car.

This was my first MB, and it will most definitely be my last. Shame as the car looked great and drove really well.

Sorry to hear that. That’s really crap. I loved the colour of your A35 AMG, and briefly considered one after rejecting my S3.

“Lower your expectations” LOL. That’s right up there with the general manager of my Audi Dealership telling me that “Audi don’t make perfect cars” LOL.(after I’d bought it,obviously!)

What I found the most disappointing was the attitude of everyone from the top down. No one gave a toss.
Totally with you on your stance to never own another. If we all did this, manufactures WOULD give a **** and they WOULD produce cars that were fit for purpose. Either that or they’d go bust.